An Anonymous Donor
by funkytoes
Summary: Astrid Hofferson's biological clock is ticking. The problem? She's not in a relationship. So she gets an anonymous sperm donor. Problem solved. New problem? Turns out the sperm donor is her obstetrician, Dr. Hiccup Haddock. [Modern au]
1. Chapter 1

She stared at the picture on the wall, the facility's projector a crisp, clear image.

Auburn hair, brown, with reddish tints. Green eyes like ferns. There was a small silver scar along his chin, and she wondered briefly how he got it. His mouth was in a half grin, his nose a little too long.

He was perfect.

"Him," Astrid Hofferson whispered.

The man behind the desk, one of the directors of the clinic, looked at her in surprise. "No one has ever—"

She shook her head, silencing him. "Him," she repeated. "What do I have to sign?"

The man studied her. "We require you to think about the decision for at least two weeks, before signing our agreement."

She blinked at him, but nodded.

"Are you sure, Miss Hofferson?" the director asked, still frowning at her. "No one has ever chosen that donor before."

She smiled at him, before nodding. "Yes. I'm sure."

And that was that.

 **Five Weeks Later…**

"You're serious going through with this?" Heather asked, staring at her as they walked into the elevator.

"Yup," Astrid said. She shifted slightly on her feet, wondering if the procedure had worked—if she was really pregnant. "A little too late for second thoughts."

Heather whistled softly. "And I thought you were reckless before…"

"I've never been reckless a day in my life," Astrid said, rolling her eyes. They left the elevator and entered the floor of their workplace. "Honestly? It just felt right. And I've wanted a kid for a while now—well, a few years, anyway. And _really_ wanted it the last year."

"Why go through all the bother though?" Heather asked. "Why not just hook up with a guy? Or better yet, get a boyfriend?"

Astrid signed, walking over to her cubicle. Heathers was across the makeshift hallway that separated the columns of cubicles. "That would get complicated," Astrid said. "I'd have to deal with— _the father_. And I don't want to do that. Not if I'm not serious about him. And I haven't been serious about a guy since… well, my last boyfriend."

Heather sniggered at the memory.

"Anyway, this is safer. I don't know who the guy is, he doesn't know who I am… and, legally, I'm not allowed to look for him _or_ tell him I'm pregnant with his child, even if I happen to run into him. Somehow. A completely anonymous donor with protection and everything." Protection for herself as well, she figured. "I signed a legal document _saying_ ," she took off her coat, sitting down, "That I wouldn't do or _say anything_ to the father if I ever meet him. Or I could get sued. So… _safe_."

Heather snorted in disgust. "I still think you're making a mistake. How are you going to raise a kid when you're working so much?"

"Ever heard of a nanny?" Astrid retorted.

"Okay then," Heather admitted. "What about financially supporting a baby? You emptied your savings on fertility tests _and_ this procedure."

A procedure that might not even take.

A procedure that might have all been for naught.

She didn't realize just how much she wanted it, wanted a baby, until the realization this was really happening hit her. Until after it was _done_. When the director's words had echoed in her ear, reminding her of the success rates. To prepare herself for disappointment, if the pregnancy _didn't_ take.

She didn't want to think about it. Not when she still wasn't sure she was making the right decision. Upheaving her entire life just because her biological clock inconveniently decided to start ticking.

"I'll figure things out," she and Heather exchanged amused looks, before they began their work for the day.

* * *

The receptionist at the obstetrician's office she had chosen, the best office of its kind in Berk, she was told, was a kind, rotund woman in her mid-forties, about ten or so years older than Astrid herself. "Ah, Miss Hofferson," Mrs. Ack said, smiling brightly at her. "Please fill out this paperwork, and sign on the x, and I'll get you into the system."

"Thanks," Astrid said, taking the clipboard with the paperwork, each page asking a million questions, from the woman. She turned and walked shakily to her seat, sitting down and began answering quickly. She had only gotten a few hours off of work, and she wasn't sure how long this first session would be.

The home pregnancy test had been positive… but that didn't mean anything to Astrid. It could be a false positive. The stick could have malfunctioned.

It didn't mean anything.

In this moment, she wasn't even quite sure what outcome she would actually prefer.

She handed the clipboard back to Mrs. Ack, her stomach a flutter of wings as she returned to her seat. After a few moments, a nurse came to collect her, to take her weight and measurements, and to ask any questions that needed answering before the doctor arrived.

She sat, in a chair in the doctor's office, as the nurse left with the blood sample. She wondered when the doctor would come in, what he would say, what he would be like. She supposed it didn't matter too much.

She still didn't stop herself from gazing about the room. She didn't have much time to look too deeply, and jumped in surprise when she heard a firm, but quiet knock on the door. "Yes?" she asked, sounding uncharacteristically nervous.

Why was she so on edge?

Oh yeah, she was about to find out if she was really going to be a mother or not in just about an hour.

The door opened, and a man stood in the frame, wearing a doctor's white coat, and holding a clipboard that she had frantically scribbled her answers onto.

But what _truly_ captured her attention, was the doctor himself.

Young for a doctor, about her age, with reddish brown hair, and green eyes, smiling at her pleasantly.

And a small silver scar on his chin.

* * *

 ** _To be Continued…?_**

So… some of you who have been reading my stories for a while now might remember this one…. And, might remember that I deleted it a couple years ago. Well, I'm reposting a bunch of old (and old but never published) httyd fanfics for no discernible reason that I can tell. I guess because I… feel like I guess lol

Not sure if I'll be posting more than just one to a couple chapters for any of these old/new stories, unless there's any interest to read more of them.

Is this a story you'd like to read more of?

Thanks for reading!


	2. Chapter 2

She stared.

And stared.

And stared.

Before snapping her mouth shut, and saying, as breezy as she could muster. "Dr… Haddock?"

He nodded, frowning at her reaction, and stepped into the room, closing the door behind him. "Ms… Hofferson? I presume?"

She nodded silently, watching with wide eyes as he sat down on the chair behind his desk. He was taller than she had imagined from his picture. Much, much taller. She had known his height of course, it had been part of the information the clinic had disclosed to her... But seeing him in person… he was much taller than she had imagined.

And much, much more handsome.

 _Shit._

Her mind was blank except for that one word.

 _Shit. Shit. Shit._

She shouldn't be here—this man…

This man was the sperm donor she had picked. There was no doubt. Not with that scar on his chin… not with those eyes, those charmingly crooked teeth…

She snapped out of her reverie, realizing that she had only a few seconds to make a decision. To walk out and find a new obstetrician, or to stay, and…

See if she could glean a little more about the father of her—as of yet, potential—child.

"Ms. Hofferson?" he asked, frowning, looking a little unnerved at the intense stared she was giving him. "Is everything alright?"

"I'm just," her voice came out hoarse, as if she had just been screaming. Mentally, perhaps. She cleared her throat. "I'm, uh… just a little nervous."

His expression softened, and he smiled at her. "Yes, it says here that you chose artificial insemination. Well, the good news is those are usually…" he continued on, rambling a bit, talking about statistics and that she most likely had nothing to worry about, that a pregnancy through that method was perfectly standard, for both her and the baby. His hands moved as he talked, animating his words. He seemed unaware he was even doing it. She wondered if her own child might have that trait.

But she wasn't listening to him. Instead, his slightly nasal voice drifted in and out of her consciousness, until her head felt too heavy, and she felt herself slip—"

Suddenly, Astrid found herself sitting up in a bed, in a room befitting a doctor's office. She looked around, confused. What happened? Something beeped, and she looked over to see that she was hooked up to a monitor, and it was beeping.

There was another knock at the door, and the nurse that had taken her vitals and tests stepped in, and smiled at her. "You feeling better?" she asked. "You fainted in Dr. Haddocks office, only about ten minutes ago—everything is fine," she added, reassuringly.

Astrid stared at her, mouth agape. She had… _fainted?_

She almost rolled her eyes at herself. And she would have laughed at herself, cruelly, if she wasn't so mortified. The nurse disappeared from view, and Dr. Haddock stepped into the room in her place.

"How are you feeling?" he asked, walking up to her. He took the clipboard from the end of the bed, and glanced at the monitor.

"I'm embarrassed, more than anything else," she said, that feeling of horror and humiliation still burning deep in her gut and face. She had _fainted_ in her obstetrician's office. She would never live this down.

He nodded, unhooking her from the monitor, and offering her a hand as she stepped onto the floor. She felt shaky, but she wasn't gong to faint. She was _not_ going to faint. Again.

She followed him out of the room and into the hall, and back into his office.

"Dizzy spells can sometimes occur early in the pregnancy," he said, "Let me know if they continue."

"I don't usually faint," she insisted, hoping he believed her.

He nodded, giving her that half smile that had convinced her to choose him in the first place. "So…" he said. "What made you consider _Haddock and Assoc.?"_

She paused. "You had the best reviews," she said, shrugging. "So… is this a family business?"

He didn't bat an eye at the question. Instead, he continued on. "Yes, my father founded it, about thirty-eight years ago." He didn't seem too proud at the impressive number of years. Instead he glanced at the chart again. "Any potential complications that you can think of?"

"What?" she asked blankly.

"With the pregnancy," he asked, not looking up. "Or with the father?"

"What do you mean?" she asked, a little breathlessly despite her attempts to regain control over herself, and the situation.

He glanced up, "Any genetic or hereditary traits we should be aware of? Of the father."

"No," she said, marveling at the irony of that statement. If anyone knew what those were, it would be the man sitting across from her.

At least she was recovering some of her usual strength, not feeling weak and dizzy and frail. She was starting to recover from the shock. "I work a lot, but I don't see anything other than that interfering with a smooth pregnancy."

"I see," he said, looking back down at the chart for a while longer. Finally he looked up at her. "Ms. Hofferson, I'd very much like to take you on as a patient, but, of course, the choice is yours." He paused, "You can take your time in deciding."

He continued on, telling her the benefits of being a patient of _Haddocks and Assoc._ , but a war was going on in Astrid's head, causing her to pay him no mind.

This man was the father of her baby. Well, if she even _was_ pregnant.

The _responsible_ thing to do is to walk out of his office and never see him again. She had signed a contract requiring her not to impede on his life—he had signed one relinquishing parental rights to a baby when he donated his sperm however long ago. She really _shouldn't_ be here. She _shouldn't_ take him on as her doctor. Not when things might get tricky later on. Not when things _would_ get tricky later on.

"I need to think about it," she said softly.

He nodded. "Of course," he said, smiling, standing up and offering her his hand to shake. She stood as well and shook his hand. "Well, we'll have the result of your tests in a few hours, if you'd like to go grab lunch and come back when the results are ready…"

For a moment she thought he was asking her on a date, before she realized that it was an invitation to go and think whether to hire him or not. She nodded, letting go of his hand after realizing she had held it too long.

"I'll be back in an hour," she said, grabbing her purse and leaving.

She didn't wait for him to say goodbye, though she could hear the hesitation in his voice as he did, perhaps confused as to why she was so desperate to leave.

Mrs. Ack stood as she walked the station in the middle of the reception room. She didn't bother telling the woman she would be back. She walked right out of that building, down the street to a deli, where she bought herself a sandwich.

An obstetrician was her _sperm donor?_ And he was her first pick in both. That had to be some kind of sick, cosmic joke. There was no other explanation.

She thought of his handsome face, wondering why he had never been picked before. Perhaps they didn't show his picture to everyone. She thought of those hands, how they had danced in the air as he spoke, and wondered briefly what it would have been like to conceive through natural means, to have those hands dance along her…

She swallowed hard, and painfully, finishing her sandwich and standing up, feeling anger, and frustration, fear—fear that she might let something slip, might let him know he's the father of her child, and the legal ramifications that would follow, and…

She was _curious_.

Curious as to what kind of man he was. What that would mean as far as his children. She didn't even know if she _was_ pregnant yet, let alone…

But if she _was_ pregnant, then… perhaps… it would be possible to at least get to _know_ him. She could always fire him and get a new obstetrician at some point. She didn't have to have _him_ be her doctor the entire pregnancy.

And she wanted to know more about him.

Figure out what, besides his good looks, he might have passed on to their child. And she wondered what else about him he was keeping under the surface, hidden from those he didn't know well. Any quirks and habits, and mannerisms.

And she knew she had her answer.

She walked back into _Haddock and Assoc.,_ and Mrs. Ack smiled at her, as she sat down in the reception room, waiting to be called back into Dr. Haddock's office.

Mrs. Ack's phone rang, and she addressed Astrid, "You can go inside, Ms. Hofferson, he'll be right with you."

Astrid nodded, walking back into the office. She sat there, fidgeting nervously. Though she hated being jittery, she couldn't help herself—for in a few moments, she'd know for sure whether she was going to be a _mother_ or not. The door opened and Dr. Haddock stepped inside, looking at the chart. He closed the door and stood behind his desk, looking at her with that damned half smile on his face. "Congratulations, Ms. Hofferson, You're pregnant."

* * *

 **To be continued…**

 **Thanks for all the encouraging reviews/comments on the first chapter! I've decided I'm going to keep posting to this story, at least for the time being :)**

 **Thanks for reading!**

 **See you soon!**


	3. Chapter 3

"What?" she was suddenly standing, staring at him. "Are you serious?"

"I'm literally not allowed to joke about this part," he said, somewhat flatly, and she wondered if this was perhaps a bit of a sense of personality sneaking through his balmy attitude.

"Oh my god," she said, gripping the arm of her chair as she sat down. "I'm… I'm pregnant?"

He nodded, his smile faltering as he watched her reaction with some confusion.

"I'm pregnant," Astrid repeated, blankly. "And you…" she looked at him sharply. "You… you're—the _obstetrician."_

They gazed at each other for a good few seconds, before Dr. Haddock seemed to gather himself. "Have you chosen _Haddock and Assoc.?"_ he asked, looking pleased.

She nodded mutely. She was pregnant.

The procedure had actually _worked._ _She was…pregnant._

She looked up at Dr. Haddock, who was watching her with an expression on his face that told her he was somewhat confused at her reaction.

And _he_ was the father. Her doctor. She didn't know how she was going to handle this.

"Okay," she said. "I… what's the next step?"

"We'll schedule appointments four weeks apart, until your third trimester, where it'll be twice a week," he said, sitting down and motioning for her to do the same. "Depending on how the pregnancy goes, we may need to reschedule more frequent appointments. Once you reach thirty-eight weeks, we'll schedule appointments at least once a week."

She nodded, a hand to her lower belly, trying to sense life there. She couldn't. She couldn't believe it. What if this was a mistake? What if, even at the age of thirty-four, she wasn't ready to be a mom? What if…

"Ms. Hofferson?" he looked at her intently. "I know that this is a big moment. It's life changing. But if you need anything, we're here." He paused, "And it's normal, to be a little… taken aback by the reality of this… kind of news."

She nodded. She wondered how often he had said that to women. Women who had wanted a baby, and then reeled at the knowledge they would actually be a _mother._ Or was he shocked by her? At her surprise and somewhat lackluster reaction?

It wasn't her fault, she reminded herself, as she left Mrs. Ack's desk, after scheduling a few appointments. She had gotten list of pre-natal vitamins to buy, as well as basic dietary instructions. She headed out of the building. She was tempted to go to the deli again, but she felt like she might puke if she ate anything at the moment. Or maybe that was just the pregnancy….

It couldn't… _entirely_ , she figured, be her fault she wasn't allowed, by some cruel twist of fate, to react properly to learning she was pregnant. She was so shocked to have come face to face with the _father_ of her child, when by all accounts she should have never even _met_ the man, that all her reactions got scrambled up in her mind like stir-fry.

She pushed that thought out of her mind. It didn't matter, she had to take control of the situation. Who cared that he was the father? It's not like he'd ever find out.

He was an obstetrician, and a successful one at that. And even if it _were_ legal to tell him he was the father… he'd probably think she was a stalker, or trying to get into his bank account.

So, really, she reminded herself. It was a _good_ thing she couldn't tell him. It protected them both. And as handsome as he was, she didn't know him. She knew facts about him, basic, simple facts, but she didn't know anything about _him as a person._ Not really.

Not yet.

* * *

Heather got up, rushing over and slinging an arm around Astrid. "What's the verdict?" she whispered, so the only employees wouldn't necessarily overhear.

"I done got myself knocked up," Astrid said. Heather let out a bark of laugher, slapping Astrid on the arm in excitement.

"Come, tell me all about it!" she said, as they strode to one of the table's in the break room. Heather sat down, resuming her lunch, but Astrid couldn't sit.

"I can't believe it," she said. "I'm actually pregnant _. Pregnant!"_

"Yeah, I know," Heather said swallowing and frowning. "It's just occurring to you now that this might happen?"

"I mean," Astrid said, pacing, ignoring the strange looks from the few other people in the room. "I mean… I knew it would happen, but… I'm going to be a _mom."_

She stopped, looking at Heather, her eyes wide. "I'm going to be a _mom."_

"I know," Heather said. "And you know what? You're going to be a great mom."

Astrid nodded, not quite sure if she agreed with that sentiment. She sat down in a chair. She felt like she could throw up—or just needed to go for a run to blow off steam—or—or—or do _something._ She had too much excess energy. She was too…

Excited was the wrong word. Excitement was definitely there, but…

It was something deeper than that.

It was as if, when Dr. Haddock had told her she was pregnant— _really_ pregnant—that she realized she wanted this more this more than she had thought she did. More than she had assumed she did.

And now…

She was going to be a mom.

A _mom._

She was going to have a _baby._

As silly as it made her feel, it was as if the concept that motherhood was just around the corner seemed to only just now settle deeply into her mind.

She pushed out the thought that the father of the baby was somehow, even unknowingly and completely by chance, in her life. Even if in just such a small way, such as being her doctor.

Nope. It was a huge 'way'. It was catastrophic. It was so bad, she needed to call the clinic and tell them to switch her to someone else—or better yet, switch her to some other clinic in the city.

 _That_ , would be the ethical, and financial sound, direction to take.

She let out a small groan. She wondered if there was a law about a doctor

He might be the biological father of her child, but he had relinquished all parental rights when he donated his necessary part of the deal. As long as she didn't tell him he was the father and make a breach of contract, there was nothing with giving him business by letting him be her doctor.

Or at least, that was what she decided to tell herself.

So it would be alright, in the end. Besides, she reminded herself, she was planning on finding a new obstetrician eventually, before the birth of the baby. And then she would just spend the rest of her days pretending Dr. Haddock didn't exist, unless her child sought him out in the years to come.

She rose, "I've got to get to work," she told Heather.

"How was your doctor's appointment?" Heather asked.

Astrid paused, glancing over at her, halfway to the door. "Great," she said. Then, because the room had emptied, due to employees returning to their work, she added, "I only wish my obstetrician didn't turn out to _be_ the sperm donor."

She heard Heather splutter in shock, and quickly slipped out of the lunch room.

* * *

"There must be some kind of law against… against an obstetrician being a sperm donor," Astrid said, staring at her beverage. The lemonade was tasty, reminiscent of warmer months, but what she _felt_ like doing was getting drunk. However, given the present circumstances, that was out of the question.

At least their favorite bar was smoke-free.

"Maybe he donated it _before_ he became an doctor," Heather said. "Besides, I looked into it, there's no laws on Berk restricting doctors from donating sperm. You should feel lucky—your kid is probably going to be really smart."

Astrid harrumphed, then frowned. "Do you think I should get a different doctor?"

Heather thought about that, swirling her drink in her hand, before nodding. "I think that would be wise. But…" a cunning look crossed her face. "I know why you're not going to."

Astrid ignored Heather's expression, and the knowledge that Heather knew _exactly_ what she was up to. And approved. She sighed. She usually wasn't one for getting drunk, or desiring to. She hated losing control of her faculties. But right now? Right now, she wanted to get lost in something, _anything._ And alcohol was out of the question. Maybe sex was the answer.

But as she scanned the room of the busy bar, she realized that none of these men or women would be the answer to that question. She knew half of them, and didn't want to hook up with any of them. No, she would have to just get used to the fact that now, as a single mother, the dating pool was going to get a smaller.

A _lot_ smaller.

"I'm going to get another drink," Astrid said, rising from her seat. Heather opens her mouth, and Astrid rolled her eyes, saying, "Not _booze_."

She walked to the bar, ordered a non-alcoholic drink, which the barman gave to her, amused. "I'm pregnant," she explained to him, but he had already moved on to the next paying customer before she had finished. She glanced over to the table where Heather was sitting, and found her talking to a woman in their booth, and decided to give her friend space. She instead headed over to the dance floor, a small part of her wanting to dance.

She's supposed to be _happy_ right now, and instead…

She felt terrified. And Astrid Hofferson was not used to feeling terrified. And she did not like it.

"Shit!" she exclaimed loudly, though no one probably heard her over the blaring music and TV's, as she slammed into someone and her drink sloshed onto her shirt. She looked up to glare at whomever she had walked into, and her face paled slightly in color when she saw the back of a russet head.

She took a step back, just as _Dr_. _Hiccup Haddock_ turned, his mouth open to speak. He promptly shut his mouth when he saw her. He blinked.

She realized she couldn't—and wouldn't—run. Perhaps this was good. Perhaps she would get a chance to get to know him a little better. Get to know the father of her child. "Hi," she said, a little breathlessly, "It's me, Astrid. And this is non-alcoholic," she added, pointing to her almost empty glass.

He looked relieved, whether because she wasn't drinking alcohol, or whether because she made the first move. He grinned at her then, "Nice to see you again," he said. Then she remembered her shirt, and looked down.

Her shirt was soaked, her tall glass practically empty. Through her wet shirt, she could clearly see her dark colored bra. "Right," she said, looking up, hoping he hadn't noticed—he had. He had followed her gaze, and looked away moments later, looking fixedly at one of the TV's at the games playing on the screen.

"Excuse me," she said, "I'll go clean myself up—"

"Here." Suddenly he was shrugging off his jacket, comfortable and thin, suitable for early-fall, and handed it to her.

"But—"

"It's my fault," he explained, shrugging.

It wasn't, not really. It wasn't his fault his back had been in her path. Or maybe _this_ was a cosmic joke as well. She nodded, and he followed her to the lady's room, where he waited outside. She walked in, cleaning up her shirt, but found that it was still transparent from the water now.

She left the lady's room a few minutes later and found him still waiting there. Of course, his jacket. She quickly handed it back to him. "Thanks," she said, smiling at him.

He glanced down, then up again, his cheeks tinging with pink a second time. "Keep it, until your shirt dries," he said, pointedly _not_ looking at her breasts.

She almost smirked. He was an OB. He literally saw women's bodies every day for his job, and _this_ was embarrassing for him? "Do you want to go sit down?" he asked, over the din.

She didn't want to leave, not without Heather, who was her ride. And Heather was not going to leave for a while, since they had barely arrived. And besides, she reasoned, it probably wasn't a good idea to wander too far with his jacket around her, since he would need it back.

At least, that was her reasoning as she guiltily followed him back to a booth, and sat down opposite him. It was quieter here, and she realized she could ask him questions. "Thanks," she said. "Sorry for bumping into you."

He shook his head, smiling. "No worries," he said. He glanced out across the crowded bar. "You come here often?"

"My friend does," she said. "I'm usually too busy to."

"I see," he said. "How are you feeling?"

"Oh, I'm fine—no more dizzy spells or anything like that." She glanced at her empty drink. What else should she say? The director of the fertility clinic's words kept running through her head, warning her to resist curiosity and not seek the father out. But this was different, she tried to reason with herself. She wasn't trying to get anything out of him, except perhaps glean some personality traits. "So…" she said, slowly. "Is this what doctor's usually do in their downtime? Party?"

"I'd hardly call _this_ a party," he said, returning her smirk. Then he eased into a pleasant smile. "My friend dragged my out tonight.

She nodded. "I'm sorry for how I acted in your office—I guess it just hit me that I'm going to be a mom." She paused, "I knew it was a possibility that the procedure would work… but a small part of me didn't believe it would actually happen. I _wanted_ it to work, to have a baby. But at the same time… And…" she shrugged. "I guess my hormones have been a little out of whack lately."

He nodded, his face passive, but he gazed at her gently, as if he understood her sentiment. "Well," he said, his fingers drumming on his own glass, that fidgeting movement, as if he his body was incapable of staying still, "It's common to feel emotional—hormones or no."

"Do you have any children?" she asked, changing the subject slightly. It was an innocent question—tainted only that she was curious what they might look like.

He shook his head, giving out a little, uncomfortable, but amused laugh. "No."

She frowned. "Don't want any?"

"Not ready," he said with a shrug. An awkward silence fell on them, and she wondered if she had stepped a little too far. It was a personal question, regardless. Then he grinned, but there was little humor in it. "Weird, right? An OB not sure he wants kids."

She shook her head, smiling. That made it easier to stave her guilt in not telling him. Even if she wasn't allowed to, she still felt guilty the last few days, knowing that she would be seeing him at least twice a month and unable to tell him. She wondered if he had a spouse—her eyes slid from his face to his hands, where she saw no evidence of a ring. A girlfriend or boyfriend then, perhaps.

But that didn't really matter.

She remembered those hands, dancing in the air as he had explained things to her in his office. She watched them now, drumming on his glass, deft, nimble.

She remembered how long it had been since the last time _she_ had time for sex. She bit her bottom lip ever so slightly as she once again allowed herself to imagine those hands doing something else—something that required an infinitely smaller amount of talking—

"Ms. Hofferson?" he asked, blinking at her.

"What?" she asked, a little blankly, looking up at his face. He was gazing at her in confusion, probably wondering why she had been staring at his hands as if she were going to eat them. "Nothing," she said. "I'm just thinking…" but she didn't say what she was going to say. "I think I'll head out," she said. She rose from her seat, sliding out from the booth and took off his jacket, handing it back to him.

He rose as well. "Can I walk you to your car? That way you don't have to walk through this mess—" with a transparent shirt, was what he was going to say.

"I'll be walking home," she said, "My ride is no doubt not ready to go home. And I don't feel like asking her to leave early."

He blinked. "Do you need a ride?"

"No," she said, a little too briskly.

He bobbed onto his heels, and back flat on the ground, as he said, "Would you like a ride?"

Surprised he had realized why she had said no, and also realizing that she didn't really want to walk home at night, with no coat and a see-through shirt, she nodded. "That would be great, thanks," she said.

It was probably stupid, letting a strange man drive her home, but… she knew him. He wasn't a _stranger_. He was her… Obstetrician. Which was stupid in and of itself.

"I'll be right back," she said, and he nodded as she turned around and headed over to Heather. "Mind if I head out?" she asked.

Heather glanced over, before glancing behind Astrid, to see Hiccup. Heather grinned slyly. "Who's the hunk?" she asked.

"My doctor," Astrid said, a little pointedly. Heather's grin widened as an almost maniacal look came into her eyes. "Oh my _god_ he's _hot."_

"I know, right?" Astrid said, before realizing what she had just agreed with and said, quickly, "Anyway, he's going to give me a ride home—"

"Is he _really?"_ Heather asked, giving Astrid suggestive eyebrows.

"Shut _up_ ," Astrid muttered, rolling her eyes. "He's just giving me a ride because he's a gentleman. Anyway—are you good to get home by yourself?"

"Oh, I won't be coming home," Heather said, nodding her head in the direction somewhere to Astrid's left. Astrid glanced over to see a woman sitting in a booth, who smiled and waved when she noticed that Astrid and Heather were looking at her.

"Right, well, great," Astrid said, "Then I'll be hitching a ride with Hiccup, and—"

"Give me all the details tomorrow," Heather said, winking at Astrid.

"That's not even—you're…shut up," Astrid muttered again, turning around and walking back to Hiccup.

"I'm parked down the street a little," Hiccup said, nodding in the direction his car must be parked. She nodded, hugging his jacket closer around her. He shivered slightly, and she offered to give it back, but he refused. A polite gentleman, she decided, pleased.

"To be honest," she said, as they reached his car—a very nice car, she noted, and got in, "This was supposed to be a celebration of getting pregnant—but… the whole experience has been kind of ruined by the reality."

"You mean, if you're ready or not?" Hiccup asked, as he got out of the parking spot and starting driving. "Where to?"

She gave him her address, and he turned down a street. At least he was headed in the right direction. "Yeah," she said, agreeing with him. "I don't even know why I went ahead with the procedure—I think I just… it felt right. But now…" She hugged herself again, not knowing why she was telling him this. Not sure why she had agreed to let him drive her home.

It wasn't as if anything could happen between them. He probably had a girlfriend. He was the father of her child, unbeknownst to him. And, the final clincher, he was her _doctor._

She didn't fancy having him commit the sin of malpractice just because she's feeling needy.

"Hey, I get it," he said, softly. "It's a life changing decision, and not one to be taken lightly."

She nodded. "I feel like maybe I did. But—I do want a baby. I really do. Whether now or later. Too late for later," she laughed, but he didn't. "Thanks, for the ride," she said. "Sorry I'm such a downer."

He shrugged, now smiling slightly.

She wondered how he would react, if she told him that it was _his_ child she was pregnant with. That by some stroke of fate, she had picked him, and then picked him again as her OB, completely unaware of the coincidence. Would he even believe that it was a coincidence?

She shook her head, sighing slightly. She glanced at him, to see his fingers drumming on the wheel of his car. Always dancing, those fingers.

He pulled into her driveway, and he quickly got out of the car, coming around and opening her door. "Thanks," she said, getting out of the car herself. She smiled up at him, and wondered if this was smart. Getting to know him. He obviously didn't want kids—didn't want to be contacted if his specimen was chosen, if he chose a sperm bank like the one she chose.

 _This was dangerous territory_ , she told herself.

"See you tomorrow," he said.

"Tomorrow?" she asked, shaken out of her thoughts by the words. _That's right,_ she thought, horror sparking through her like wildfire. _Tomorrow was…_

He returned to his car. He waved, and drove off, and that was that.

She stood rooted to the spot.

Tomorrow was her first official prenatal visit. Which included… a _full_ physical.

* * *

 **To be continued…?**

 **SO Sorry for how long it's been since I posted the last chapter! Let me know if any of y'all are still interested in reading more and I'll try to polish up the next chapter enough to post soon :)**

 **Thanks for reading! Next chapter… things get a little… _awkward_ ;)**


	4. Chapter 4

"Okay, you _see_ , Mom?" she said as she got out of her car and walked down the sidewalk, heading towards _Haddock and Assoc._ "This is why I didn't tell you."

 _"Oh, don't you put this on_ ** _me_** _, Young Lady,"_ her mother said from the other side of the call, using a particularly condescending tone that Astrid despised.

 _"_ You're always badgering me to give you grandkids," Astrid said, smirking slightly as she pictured the pursed look on her mother's face.

 _"Yes, but to get_ ** _married_** _first, or at least have a_ ** _fiancé_** _,"_ her mother snapped. Her mother sighed audibly, the phone crackling as the sound came to Astrid. " _Dear, how are you going to handle being a new mother_ and _your rising career? It's difficult enough_ ** _with_** _a husband, but alone—with_ ** _no_** _help from a husband or the father?"_

"I can handle it, Mom," Astrid said, through slightly gritted teeth, "I've got to go, I'm going into my first official doctor's visit."

She hung up the phone, still smirking as she walked into the reception room. The smirk was still there as she signed in, payed her co-pay, and sat down with a clipboard with a more extensive personal and medical history to fill out. She saw, across the room, a woman with her hand on her very large belly, and Astrid automatically placed her own hand on her still very flat belly. There were no signs that she was pregnant, except that she was starting to feel nauseous at odd and inconvenient times of the day. But she also chocked that up to learning that the man who was supposed to stay anonymous was the man who was going to be elbow deep in her for the next eight months.

Perhaps this was all a mistake. She could cancel—go home, find another obstetrician, ignoring Hiccup and forgetting all about him until their kid decided to go searching him on their own.

She quickly filled out the rest of the paperwork, and handed it back to Mrs. Ack, before sitting back down on her chair. Somehow, realizing that Dr. Haddock would be… _seeing_ intimate parts on at least a semi-regular basis had not entirely occurred to her. Perhaps this really _was_ a—

"Ms. Hofferson?"

She looked up to see the nurse standing there, smiling at her, and she quickly stood up and walked towards him. The nurse led her into the room she had woken up in after her fainting spell after her _last_ appointment with him.

 _Great,_ she thought, _a reminder of_ that _embarrassing interlude._

She changed into a smock, and lay down, forcing her hands not to fidget as she waited for the doctor to arrive. When he entered, she cursed herself for choosing a hot doctor as her obstetrician. "Nurse Elaine is here as well," he said, motioning to the nurse, "While I do the physical."

"Right," Astrid said, glancing at the friendly nurse, who stood in the corner. The physical.

Luckily, Hiccup nor the nurse didn't attempt any small talk during the exam—though that didn't lesson the deeply uncomfortable feeling Astrid was currently conflicted with. _Why did a prenatal exam have to include a pap smear?_ she thought bitingly, her cheeks flaming. Usually they were just plain uncomfortable, but with a man who she had spent the night fantasying about—in a purely, 'what if this baby had been conceived under normal circumstances' kind of way—it was unbearable.

At least, she thought to herself, as she got dressed afterwards, she wouldn't have to worry about anything ever happening between them. After _that_ ordeal, there was no chance in hell he would see her as anyone other than a patient.

She arrived in his office a few minutes later, waiting to hear his report.

"Well," he said, looking at his chart, "You're healthy. We should have the results from the pap in a few hours, so you can head out if you need to." He paused for a moment, glancing at her, "Do you have any other questions?"

"I didn't realize I had any first questions," she joked, and his lips twitched as if he was resisting a smile. "Well," she said, heaving a breath, "It's just…" she swallowed hard. Should she do it now? Confess that he couldn't be her OB? That would be the _responsible_ thing to do—and certainly—

"Miss Hofferson?"

She looked up, to see him smiling at her. "It's normal to be nervous," he said. "But I'm sure you'll be a great mom."

She nodded numbly. "Thank you, Dr. Haddock. I'm going to go now," she added, standing up and grabbing her purse. "I have to get back to work…"

"Right, of course," he said, standing up quickly as well. He offered her his hand, which she shook. "See you in a few weeks. And don't hesitate to call the office anytime."

She gave him a long look, before nodding, and leaving quickly.

She _definitely_ could never tell her mom who her obstetrician _really was._ Her mother would see his good looks, find out his profession, and only hear wedding bells for her dear, foolish daughter.

* * *

"So why'd you drag me out here on an early Saturday morning?" Astrid yawned. "What exactly is the reason for all… this," she waved around at the farmers' market they had entered.

"Local businesses, cut prices, local produce, _supposedly_ ethical sourcing on meat, hot housewives looking to be a bit _free-spirited_ with a certain, single lesbian… gluten-free stuff galore." Heather shrugged. "And I thought you could use some fresh air."

"Thanks," Astrid said under her breath. She blinked into the sunlight as it peered around a building, and decided to break free of Heather while the woman began to shop. She found her way to a bakery stand, and got herself some dessert. She was pregnant, right? She could do dessert for breakfast. For the _baby_.

She bit into her ice cream cookie sandwich and turned walking into the crowd, trying to find Heather to tell her she was going to head back to her apartment. The sun hit her again, and—her foot slipped past the curb.

With a yelp, she felt herself falling, unable to stop herself. It was as if her life flashed before her eyes. Except it wasn't her life, it was her child's. As she braced herself for the impact on the rock-hard pavement, she felt someone shout and grab her, keeping her from falling fully to the ground. "Hey, are you alright?" a familiar voice asked.

Shaking from the shock, and from being held awkwardly at a nighty degree angle, Astrid looked up to see Dr. Haddock staring down at her. "I—what? You—doing here—let go."

He hoisted her to her feet. She swayed slightly, before brushing herself off. "Thanks," she said, her face red."That was a close call."

"Tell me about it," he said. "Have you had many dizzy spells lately?"

"What do you—I wasn't—I just tripped," she said, pointing to the curb.

He gave her a searching look, before nodding. "Still," he said, "You should be more careful where you step."

"I know," she said, slightly irritable in her embarrassment. She glanced around, to see people still looking at them, but starting to go their own way. Someone had started clapping, but it dissipated after she glared at them. "Thanks," she said again to Dr. Haddock. "That was… embarrassing."

"Nothing embarrassing about it," he said, digging his hands into his coat pockets. "Anyway, last day of the Market. Haven't seen you here before, though."

She raised her eyebrows. _So he was_ that _kind of hot guy,_ she thought. "First time coming here," she said. "I'm afraid I'm a little lost."

Hiccup cracked a grin. "I could show you around. Hold on," he turned and whistled, and a bark was heard. Soon, a dog came bounding out of the crowd, jumping up and licking at Hiccup's face. Astrid took a step back, but Hiccup waved her to stop. "This is Toothless, my best friend," he said. "Let me walk with you a bit, that way I know you're alright."

"I'm telling you I'm fine," she said. "But…"

This was a golden opportunity. Get to know his personality when _he's_ the one presenting the opportunity? Absolutely. "Sure," she finished, flashing him smile. "That would be great."

They started walking. "So…" she joked, "You go shopping with all your patients?"

"Not really," he answered. He wasn't looking at her, but dead ahead, at one of the stalls. Finally, he looked her way. She caught his eye, and they held each other's gaze for a while, before he quickly looked away. _He's cute,_ she realized.

Sure, she knew he was hot the moment she saw his picture projected on the office wall of the director of the fertility clinic. But now she knew he was cute too. It was too bad he was off the table. In more ways than one.

"So anyway," she said, reaching down to pat Toothless on the head. The dog licked her hand. "What happened to his leg?"

"Accident," Hiccup said.

"It's an impressive prosthetic," she marveled, leaning back slightly as she walked to get a better view of it. "Must have been expensive."

"I designed it myself," he said.

"Really?" she asked, looking at him in surprise.

He nodded. "Believe it or not, Obstetrics is not what I had wanted to do with my life."

"That's reassuring," she joked.

"Don't worry," he said, cracking a grin, "I'm good at it. But it's what my dad wanted me to do—work at the family business, eventually take it over, and my kids would do the same." He shrugged. "Not exactly what I would have chosen, but…"

"And will your kids do it too?" she asked.

He shook his head. "If I ever have kids, they'll be able to choose what they want to do with their life." He glanced at her, "What about you?"

"I work for an accounting firm," she said, shrugging. "It's boring, and I hate it—but it pays decently. I started going to school to be a fitness coach, but…" she shrugged. "My parents convinced me not to. My mom thought I'd get too buff and no man would want to marry me and impregnate me—well, I guess that part came true," she grinned sardonically at him and he chuckled, "And my dad was worried about the financial setbacks that an injury or old age would bring. So I switched my major to accounting, and that was that."

"If you had the choice, would you go back and finish your degree—maybe start a new career?" he asked, still looking at their destination.

"Sure," she said. "But my parents wouldn't understand. They don't even understand why I would ruin my chances with a 'good man' by getting pregnant out of wedlock."

Hiccup snorted.

"Anyway," she said, still grinning at him. "What about you? If you had the choice?"

He didn't answer, and a moment later, they arrived at their destination.

It was a stall with lots of pet foods and treats, and behind the stall was a shortish man with a magnificent mustache and a prosthetic hand. "Hiccup!" he said, squeezing around the table and embracing Hiccup, before slapping him on the back, causing the younger man to cough and splutter as he lurched forward slightly. "How are you, m'boy?"

"Good, good," Hiccup said, seeming to recover well enough. "You have my usual stuff?"

Astrid's eyes widened, before reality settled on her and she realized he meant _dog food,_ not drugs. With a sigh of relief, she watched as the man handed Hiccup a large bag, which Hiccup placed into his backpack. "Thanks," he said, before both the man and he glanced at her, standing there awkwardly. "Hi," she said, waving her hand.

"Oh, right," Hiccup said, "This is Astrid. Astrid, this is Gobber. He's a family friend."

Gobber looked her up and down, sizing her up. "I'm a patient of Dr. Haddocks," Astrid explained, knowing that Hiccup wouldn't be able to. Patient-Doctor confidentiality and all that. "We ran into each other—almost quite literally," she added.

Hiccup nodded.

"Well, nice to meet ye, Astrid," Gobber said, offering her a hand. She shook it. "I assume that means you've got a little'n on the way?"

"That's right," she said, smiling brightly, and almost to her surprise, she found that she was smiling authentically. "Well, anyway, thank you, Dr. Haddock, for saving me, but I should probably be on my way." She half turned away, before pausing and turning back to him. "Thank you, again, for helping me earlier. I don't know what would have happened if I had actually fallen."

"Wait," he said, "I've got something I want to show you," he turned to give Gobber a goodbye, before leading Astrid away. She slid into step with him, and followed as they walked down another path.

They arrived at a stall selling chocolate. Hiccup took out his wallet, and Astrid immediately began to protest, but he stopped her. He bought a bag of hot chocolate, and handed it to her. "Here," he said, "This is great for uplifting moods and spirits."

"Let me pay you back for it," she said, following him away from the stall, but he shook his head. "You're not my patient at the moment, Astrid. You're…an acquaintance."

"And you buy artisan hot chocolate for all your acquaintances?" she asked, looking at strangely.

He cracked a grin at her. "Only the ones who need it."

"Ah," she answered, smiling as she examined the package. It did look good. And though it was still relatively warm out—only being Autumn, she could use a cup of a comforting drink. "Thanks," she said softly.

He hummed in response, and Toothless sniffed the package, which she drew away, chastising the dog. Hiccup and Astrid reached the end of the Farmer's Market, and found themselves at a playground. There were lots of kids playing, and Astrid found herself smiling, imaging her own kids, in a few years, playing along with them. She wondered what her child would look like, and sneaked a glance at Hiccup. Would their child have his hair? Eyes? Nose or freckles? Or would they take after her more?

"Did you say something?" he asked, glancing at her in confusion and amusement.

"Nothing," she said, looking back at the playground. "I was just thinking that I'll have to bring my kid here one day."

He nodded, "It's a great playground. I used to come here as a kid. Of course, they've done some upgrades since then."

"I bet. You're old," she said.

He laughed. "We're the same age," he said, as they turned away from the playground and walked back into the Market.

She nudged him in the arm with her elbow. "Hey! Don't you know better than to call a woman 'old'?"

They both laughed at that. They chatted amicably about little, inconsequential things for a few minutes, before Astrid decided it was time to leave, and bid him goodbye. As she turned and walked away, she stopped a few feet to turn agains towards him and wave. He waved back.

 _Great,_ she thought dismally, as she head away from the Farmer's Market and up the street towards the parking lot. She was getting a _crush_ on her obstetrician.

Who just happened to the father of her baby.

* * *

 **TO BE CONTINUED…?**

 **Uh oh…looks like things are starting to… _develop_ for our favorite couple ;) **

**Okay, so like…first of all I am SO sorry that it's literally almost been 6 months (I think?) since I posted chapter 3…Let me know if you're still interested in reading this story and I'll try to get Chapter 5 ready to post soon!**

 **See you soon?**


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